


The Hood Fiasco

by orphan_account



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Identity Reveal, Sibling Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22041526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Sequel to 'The Hong Kong Fiasco'. Oliver Queen has returned, at long last, to Starling City. Tommy Merlyn is aware of his friends unusual hobby, and while disappointed it couldn't be safer, is as supportive as he can be.Thea/Oliver/Tommy oriented, AU of Season One, but at the same time, not really. No slash.Originally posted on FanFiction.Net, under the same username.
Relationships: Moira Queen & Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Moira Queen/Walter Steele, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen, Tommy Merlyn & Oliver Queen, Tommy Merlyn & Thea Queen
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy! (: 
> 
> 2010-12-29

* * *

When he gets the call, he wants to throw up. It's honestly? The weirdest reason to throw up ever, but the moment Walter is telling him that Oliver is back (not alive, Tommy knew that bit, or at least hoped), Tommy has to excuse himself and go hug the toilet in the apartment for ten minutes, wishing his stomach would make up it's mind.

Oliver vanished. Around two years ago. No note, nothing. Tommy had eventually packed up all his friends things and stored them in one of the old QC warehouses in the Glades. Down in the basement. Less risk.

But the moment he doesn't feel like hurling, he's in the car, and heading to the Queen mansion to see Thea.

He's tried to be better for Thea, in recent years. Ever since Hong Kong. He's spied on her (illegal, he's pretty sure, but also needed), tried to guide her, teach her, even pressure her a bit, into giving up drugs and such. He eventually threatened with telling Moira and Walter and Raisa. Thea stopped after that, and either she's brilliant at hiding it, or she did actually stop (he hopes it's the second one).

He held her while she sobs into his chest, words incoherent, and eventually took her back to her room, and Raisa brought them Ginger Ale, and he turned on the TV to the first channel he can find that isn't the news, finding one that is showing all the Star Wars movies in chronological order. Thea doesn't like Star Wars. Well, she does, but she's not a crazy person about it.

They mostly just sat there, in her room, drinking pop, until Thea had cried herself to sleep at Yoda's fade away, and honestly, Tommy was crying too, but screw it, Oliver was back for real, and Yoda was damn amazing and should have lived longer.

* * *

"Hey." was all Tommy could actually say, when he closes the big front door behind him, and then Oliver is turning, and a small smile greeted Tommy, tiny compared to his giant one, and he knows how stupid he must look, but screw it, he doesn't care, Oliver is back for all of them now.

"Hi." Oliver said, and Tommy stepped forwards. "Sorry about the wait."

"I thought you died." Tommy admitted. To anyone else, they might sound like old friends. No one might know that the 'wait' was two years of Tommy waiting for Oliver to get back, and that Tommy thought Oliver got himself killed in Coast City.

"Sorry." Oliver said quietly, and they embraced, rocking slightly with each other, able to visibly be friends once more.

* * *

"What was it like there?" Thea asked, interrupting the silence of dinner. Everyone paused, their eyes on Oliver. He hesitates, looking to her, his mouth open for a moment before he speaks.

"Cold."

That was a bad idea. Tommy thought, frowning at Thea. He'd tried to get Oliver to open up about Lian Yu while in Coast City. He still knew nothing, other than Oliver would not talk about it unless he had to. Unless it was relevant to the current situation, or he was drugged (the way Tommy had found out was through painkillers and a couple of terrifying-to-watch nightmares).

The silence after Thea's question ended when Raisa tripped on the threshold of the rug, as she carried a bowl of pears in the room. Oliver swiftly catches it, and she speaks.

"Mr. Oliver, I am so sorry."

"Не переживайте из-за этого." Oliver replies, as he glances up at Raisa, then back at the bowl.

Tommy froze, fork halfway to his mouth. _Shit._

He's unsure if Oliver realizes his flounder, and hurriedly tries to cover it up, while his friend sets the bowl down on the table calmly.

"Dude, you still speak Russian?" he said, catching the flash of thanks in Oliver's eyes as he tried to make people forget about it, with something else.

"I didn't realize you took Russian at college, Oliver." Walter added, and in full (maybe fake, but who cares, Tommy's panicking here!) sincere mode, Oliver replied, not missing a beat.

"I didn't realize you wanted to sleep with my mother, Walter."

Tommy wants to punch himself. He never actually got around to telling Oliver about Moira and Walter's relationship, and Oliver vanished the second time, before the marriage took place. He also wants to cheer at the brilliance of the deflect. It's uncomfortable. Any traces of the idea that Oliver speaks fluent Russian (that's new, add that to the list of questions) are now very firmly gone.

"I didn't say anything." Thea stuttered, dropping her hands to her lap, and Tommy blinked. _Oh_.

"She didn't have too." Oliver said calmly, still smiling.

"Oliver." Moira started, taking ahold of Walters hand. "Walter and I are married. And I don't want you too think that either of us did anything to disrespect your father."

"We both believed that Robert, like you, was well..." Walter's usually calm tone vanished as he stumbled over his words. "Gone."

"It's fine." Oliver said, and Tommy frowns slightly. He was in Coast City once, with Oliver, visiting. Oliver had been shot, and insisted he was fine (not that Tommy had thrown up, nope, defiantly did _not_ happen).

He wondered if this was an Oliver-Fine moment, or a Tommy-Fine moment, because they were very different. He settled for what might be a Thea-Fine. Somewhere between, but her fine was way closer to Tommy-Fine. So, a very Oliver Thea-Fine.

Gah! This was giving him a headache!

"May I be excused?" Oliver asked, standing up. Moira nods slowly, uncertainly, and he picks up a pear, before leaving the room.

Concerned, Tommy glanced at his friends' plate. It was untouched, and he sighed. _Damn it, Oliver. Now I've got to do something about this! Not that your family is helping much..._

"He didn't eat anything." Tommy said, maybe a bit louder than needed, but this _was_ painful.

Ever since Oliver had reappeared in Hong Kong, and once Tommy had a safe internet connection, he'd been looking up PTSD. He wasn't an expert, but not eating was bad. That, and Oliver was most certainly not used to the flavours and spices. In Hong Kong, he'd noticed that Tatsu had given Oliver plain rice, without any sort of sauce (she'd given him and Maseo and Akio and herself sauce though. While glaring at him). He'd actually asked her about it, and after suffering a death glare, and explaining that he wanted to know, genuinely, she'd explained it was preferable for him.

"Is that bad?" Thea said, and Tommy nodded, pointedly looking at Moira and Walter as he does.

"He can't handle the taste."

When he got weird looks, he elaborated. "I did research online. His taste buds are wonky now; he needs plain food, not this stuff. Sugar is probably too much for him as well."

Moira nodded at that, looking worried. "Should we have something sent up?"

Tommy shook his head. "I'll take him some fruit; he should be able to manage that just fine."

After a pause, they seemed to accept that they won't be talking much anymore, and they all eat in silence. Asking Raisa for a bowl, once Moira and Walter had left, Tommy filled it with a banana, two apples, an orange, and a pear. Variety.

* * *

Thea follows him upstairs, but neither of them said anything. Tommy hesitated before knocking on the door. He bet Oliver already knew someone is with him, but he called out all the same. "Oliver? I've got Thea with me. Mind if we join you?"

He tried the door when there's silence, but it's locked. Typical paranoid Oliver.

Tommy had a chance to get to know Oliver again while in Coast City, Hong Kong, and via texting. He knows Oliver might have jumped out the window, gone for a run or something, but he waits. Just in case (he can always tell Thea Oliver might be sleeping; and it might be true). A moment later, the door opens, letting them in. Oliver shuts it behind them and goes to lock it right away, as the two others move deeper into the space, Thea towards the bed, Tommy just standing awkwardly.

He sighed, walking towards his bed, where Thea is sitting. His eyes studied her for a moment, and then he bent down. Pulling out his chest. The beaten-up, green one that is probably better off being burned, but sentiment is killer.

Tommy shifted the fruit bowl from one hand to the other.

"Oliver, what are you doing?" he asked, as the man unlocks the crate. Oliver shot him a look, as Thea watches her brother in interest. He opens the lid, and pulls back light brown cloth, revealing two items. A worn book, and a stone arrowhead. He lifted them both, studying them, until Thea spoke up.

"Oliver?"

He seemed to decide, and set the book back in the chest, covering it, and locking it up. He stood, and held out the rock to Thea.

"This is a Hozen. In Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting. I kept it, in hopes, that one day, it would reconnect me, with you."

Thea grinned, lifting the stone up, and turning it over in her nimble fingers. "Do you know what it says?"

Oliver's face shifted, and Tommy recognized the look. Uh-oh. Bad memories. Nightmares.

"Coordinates on one side, and a saying on the other." he said. "Someone was kind enough to translate it for me."

"Oh." Thea nodded, and slid it into her pocket. "Did you get Tommy anything?"

"Driftwood? Bones?" Tommy teased, then his humour faded at Oliver's expression. "Oh God, please say you didn't bring back a skeleton or something."

Oliver shook his head. "Unless you want dried plants."

"No thank you!" Tommy declared and threw himself onto the bed beside Thea. Trying to lighten the mood, he playfully threw a pear from the bowl at Thea, and it bounced off her cheek with a soft _thump_.

"Hey!" She said, and he leaned back, out of her range as she grabbed it, swinging at him with a fist. "Jerk!"

Oliver chuckled, and she wound up, as if aiming at the Merlyn, but ends of chucking it at her brother instead.

Who, of course, caught it in front of his face, then looks disappointed, as he lowers his hand.

"Sorry." he murmured, lowering his hand. "Didn't mean to catch it."

Thea burst out laughing, falling backwards on the bed, as she snickered. "Tommy's face. Priceless."

"Hey!" Tommy complained. "I feel like I'm a prime target today, could we change that?"

"You haven't had a pear chucked at you today." Thea said cheekily, and he swore at her good-naturedly. Oliver, in turn, curses him in Russian, and of course, he immediately looked like he wants to punch himself for that.

"When did you pick up Russian?" Thea asked, and Oliver didn't answer, pointedly looking at Tommy from his spot on the floor, until Thea spoke again. "Okay. Are you going into town tomorrow?"

'Maybe." Oliver replied softly, and Tommy grinned.

"You have a lot to catch up on, _Queen_."

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, _Merlyn_."

* * *

"You really want to see Laurel?" Tommy said, as they stop outside of an old QC warehouse. The one all of the stuff from Coast City is (the reason Tommy thought Oliver might be alive was because the stupid crate was missing from that town). "Or are you going to run off and set up your base?"

"Laurel first." Oliver said, staring out the window. "I already have plans for the base, don't worry."

"I think you've forgotten my line from Coast City." Tommy said. "'I worry that you'll die, and then I can't kill you myself.'"

Oliver snorted. "I'd like to see you try."

"Hey, I took self-defence lessons, Mr. Robin Hood." Tommy protested, grinning. "I bet I could give you a run for your money."

"Keep telling yourself that." Oliver responded, and Tommy grinned, as they started to drive again, the light green.

* * *

"How'd you think that was gonna go Tommy?" Laurel snapped, as she marched past him.

"About like that." he admitted, looking over at Oliver, who was looking up at the sky, his expression blank. Tommy walked over and waves his hand in front of Oliver's face. Oops.

His friend grabbed it and squeezed hard. Tommy bit back a yelp, and then Oliver let go, looking embarrassed. "Sorry."

"Ow." Tommy complaind, rubbing his hand. "Guess I won't be sneaking up on you anytime soon."

They start to walk back to the car, and he considers. "What do you want to do now?"

Before Oliver can speak, a black car drives up behind them. They both spin, and then men in red masks appear, walking out from hiding places around their parking spot.

"What the hell?" Tommy called, but then a gun was raised, and a dart buried itself in his neck. He stumbled, and Oliver lunged forwards for him, expression worried, and a dart hits him too. The last thing that Tommy sees is his friend's blank anger, fading into black.

* * *

"Mr. Queen!" someone shouted, and Oliver blinked his eyes open. "Mr. Queen!"

A taser was waved in front of him, and then he was zapped. It didn't hurt as much as it once might have (after dealing with electro-shock torture and passing it, it's almost nothing) but it's still a surprise. He gritted his teeth, biting back the yell of alarm.

"I ask the questions. You give me the answers."

_Okay then._ Oliver thought. _What are the questions?_

He got shocked again. Fantastic.

"Did your father survive that accident? Did he make it to that island?"

He got shocked _again_. Really?

"Yes. He did." Oliver answered, and the man nods.

"What did he tell you, Mr. Queen?"

Oliver breathed in a few times, and exhaled slowly, his breath fogging up in the below zero chill of the abandoned building, before he looked up at the man with the taser.

"He told me I'm going to kill you."

* * *

He returned to find a somewhat lucid Tommy Merlyn, where he left him.

"Hey buddy." the brunette mumbled, lifting his head. "Mind helping me?"

Oliver quickly broke Tommy free and helped him up, supporting him. "You good to stand?"

"Dunno. No." Tommy said, stumbling over his own two feet. Oliver caught him and kept him upright, easily. "Did ya kill them?"

"Yes." Oliver gave a tight answer, worry flooding him. Every time they do this sort of thing, end up in this situation, or something similar where he has to tell Tommy that, he fears that his friend will abandon him. For good.

"I think… we can talk about that… later." Tommy decided, looking around. "What we gonna tell the cops?"

"That the Hood showed up. Minus the archery. Say he freed us, took them out, and left. Said nothing."

"Okay." Tommy agreed. "Float ya boat."

* * *

"So, a guy in a green hood flew in, and all on his own, took out 3 armed kidnappers." Lance summed up.

Tommy nodded.

"That's what we saw." he agreed.

"I mean, why would he do that?" Lance asked. Oliver, in answer, shrugs.

"I don't know. Find him, and you can ask." he said.

"Funny." Lance said. "Not one day back, and somebody's already gunning for you. Aren't you popular?"

Neither Tommy, or Oliver responded, and Walter spoke up in the ensuing silence. "Were you able to identify the men?"

Lance's partner replied. "Untraceable weapons, scrubbed identities. These were pros."

"Yeah, well, probably figured you'd pay King's ransom to get your boy back period or, a Queens ransom, I guess." Lance muttered, earning a look from Hilton, and a glacier-like glare from Moira.

"I don't find your tone appropriate, detective." she informed him curtly, earning a sneer from Lance.

"If we remember anything, we can call." Tommy offered and Lance rose.

"Your luck never seems to run out." he sneered again, this time at Oliver, and Hilton took him by the arm.

"That's enough." he declares. "Let's go partner."

* * *

Tommy followed Oliver outside, towards his car, and took the lead from his friend.

"Well, that went well." he commented sarcastically.

"Detective Lance hates me." Oliver said quietly, and Tommy unlocked the car. The conversation halted for a minute, while the two got in, and then started up again. "He should."

"When are you going to stop blaming yourself?" Tommy wondered aloud, looking to Oliver. Who had (predictably) slammed into Not-Oliver mode.

"When it's no longer the truth." Oliver said, just as quiet as before. Maybe even more so.

"So, you're not going to blame your self anymore?" Tommy tried, but it fell short of the net. "Oliver, if this is about killing those guys, I'm not angry. I know you had to."

"But you'd prefer if I hadn't."

"Yeah, of course, I wish you didn't have to kill them. But I'm not stupid, and I am glad you did, because if you didn't kill, you'd be dead, and I would have my best friend. Between a dead Old-You and an alive New-You, I will always pick the alive one."

A long, drawn out pause.

"Okay."

Progress.

* * *

"Ready for the hide out?" Tommy asked, as he picks up a large black bag. Oliver looks over at him, already carrying two. They're near the old QC factory in the Glades, and Tommy is not very impressed, and hasn't been since he first seen the warehouse's basement, when Oliver vanished two years ago. It's definitely a step up from the last hideout, at least (it was under an abandoned bridge, in the control room for the railroad lights or something. Tommy doesn't remember the details, nor does he want to).

"Yeah." Oliver replied. "We can make something out of the main floor, and then we have an alibi. Any ideas?"

"Other than a nightclub, I'm fresh out, unless you want to give archery lessons."

"Definitely not." Oliver said, starting to lead him towards the building. "Come on."

"Okay."

* * *

Oliver drew back an arrow, aiming carefully. Releasing it, he drew another, fires, and then started to move to a different spot. Both arrows landed perfectly, and the lights in the parking garage fall.

"Get in the car! Get in the car!"

Oliver heard the door slam shut, and he drew another arrow, as one of the bodyguards turns, to look around. Said bodyguard opens fire, in the complete wrong direction, and Oliver called out.

"Hey." he said, his voice echoing eerily around the parkade. "You missed."

Drawing and firing, he eliminated all three bodyguards easily enough (not killing, just injuring), and then aimed at the car window, shattering it with an arrow. Pausing for a second, he reached in, and pulled Adam Hunt out, leveling an arrow in his face the moment his hands were free again. The man screamed, one hand up, as if it might block the deadly projectile. It won't.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" he yelled. "Just… look! Just tell me what you want."

Oliver replaced the arrow in his quiver, and grabbed Adam Hunt by the jacket, slamming him against the car, so they're face to face, the businessman held down.

"You're going to transfer 40 million dollars into Starling City bank account 1141 by 10:00 PM tonight."

"Or else what?" Adam Hunt spat.

"Or else I'll take it." Oliver threatened. "And you won't like how."

He dropped Adam Hunt, and started to walked away. After about two or three seconds, Adam Hunt seems to regain his courage, shouting after Oliver, spittle flying from his mouth in rage.

"If I see you again, you're dead!"

In answer, Oliver turns, drawing an arrow, and letting go. By the time Adam Hunt looked back at him, he's gone. Arrows and threats are the only signs he was ever there.

* * *

"Have fun?" Tommy said, and Oliver glanced at him, as he stepped out of the bathroom, as Tommy come down the stairs.

"Not for amusement." Oliver reminded him, then frowned. "Why are you here? I thought you were going to see Laurel."

"Yeah, well, she has work." Tommy replied with an eye roll, flopping down at the desk chair. "CNRI. Doesn't seem to care that I didn't _have_ to ask her out for lunch at a nice place - not crazy nice, don't worry, but nice-nice - and pay for it. I have a job now, remember? My money, not Idiot-Fathers."

"Sorry." Oliver said, sincerely. "And yes, it went well."

"You think he'll transfer the money?"

"Probably not." Oliver said, but he didn't sound disappointed. "But there's always a chance."

"He's probably mad." Tommy mused. "He was on trial last year or something, looked like he wanted to kill Johanna."

"Johanna?" Oliver repeated, in confusion.

"A friend of Laurels at CNRI." Tommy explained. "And also, you can't avoid Thea for much longer."

"I'm not avoiding Thea." Oliver argued.

"She doesn't see it like that." Tommy shot back. "She was twelve Oliver. I get that you went through hell or whatever, but she doesn't understand that."

"You want me to bring my little sister into this." Oliver guessed.

"Good assumption."

"I don't assume." Oliver said, a bit darkly. "But yeah. And also, no. I am not bringing Thea into this."

"Then you're going to lose her." Tommy said.

"I show her this—" Oliver gestured around the Foundry. "—and I agree."

Tommy resisted the urge to face palm. And the urge to hit Oliver, but the latter is probably more out of self-preservation than anything.

"Well, she hates when anyone lies to her, so if you tell her. If you explain, she isn't going to leave you."

"You don't know that she won't leave."

"And you don't know that she will."

"I can't—" Oliver closed his eyes. "Tommy. Just please."

Tommy sighed over-dramatically. "Just think about it."

* * *

"Has he transferred it?" Oliver asked, holding the phone to his ear.

"Cool it, He's got twenty seconds." Tommy shot back. "Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen. Is this annoying? Fifteen. Fourteen. Thirteen."

Oliver considered hanging up. He decides against it.

"Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. Oh, I was off. It's past ten, and he hasn't done it. Feel free to kick his butt."

"Talk latter." Oliver said, lowering the phone.

"Don't get killed!" Tommy shouted, just before he got hung up on.

* * *


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> 2019-12-29

"What are you doing down here?" Tommy asked Oliver, who was sitting on the chair beside the computers in the Foundry. "It's like… I don't even know what time it is."

"It's almost seven PM Tommy." Oliver informed him. "Why are you here?"

"Could ask you the same question." Tommy pointed out, flopping down in the second chair. "But I won't, because I don't think you'd answer."

Oliver just looked at Tommy, with the same blank stare as always.

"So, why are you down here?"

Straight to the point, like always with New-Oliver.

"Because." Tommy shrugged. "Dad's been a bastard ever since the entire Hong Kong Fiasco, yes, I named it that, and with you back in the picture, he's even worse. He doesn't want me to spend time around you."

"Since when does your father care?" Oliver asked, and Tommy pointed at him.

"That's exactly my point. What changed when I was in Hong Kong, with you? Not that anyone knows that you were there, but all the same. What changed then?"

"Tommy, I can honestly say that I have no idea." Oliver answered, looking tired. "And we have to go to court tomorrow, are you coming?"

"Yeah." Tommy said immediately. "If not for you officially coming back to life, for the sake of annoying my father, who, by the way, is threatening to cut me off."

"You'll be a club manager." Oliver pointed out. "Or will be. I wouldn't worry. You'll be fine if you regulate yourself."

"You know, that is far easier to say than do, right?"

"No, actually, it's not." Oliver stood up, reaching for his jacket. "Are you going home to sleep, or what?"

"Yeah." Tommy said. "See you in the morning, and don't you dare die before then."

"Yes Mom." Oliver said sarcastically and sidestepped Tommy's mock punch. "Your form is terrible."

"Jerk." Tommy muttered, as Oliver walked away. He glanced at the computers, then shoved his hand into his pocket, looking for what he'd brought.

The photograph from Hong Kong. It was worn, and torn, and wrinkled and faded, but intact. He still had the date written on the back of it. The promise Oliver had made.

'I'll come back.'

"You better not break that promise buddy." Tommy muttered, more to himself than the picture. Then, he shoved it back into his pocket, and started climbing the stairs. He hailed a taxi and stared out the window as he went back home to the apartment he lived at most days.

* * *

Oliver drew an arrow, aiming at the upside down form of Martin Sommers. He was waking up, and Oliver assumed that waking up, while hanging upside down by an ankle, staring at a very 'angry' green hooded vigilante with a bow and quiver of arrows who had just (sorta) kidnapped you, would be A) scary, and B) disorienting.

A moment later, when Martin Sommers started to yell, he figured that he was correct for both of those.

* * *

"Hey, you good?" Tommy whispered to Oliver, who glared at him. He can't really stop worrying. Oliver isn't really the poster child for safe and sane life choices. Or sane choices in general. The opposite, rather. And he doesn't think that Oliver would even tell him if he was hurt, if it could be avoided. Not super reassuring

"Fine."

Tommy rolled his eyes. "Because why not?"

He got a death glare, and then Oliver was speaking to Walter, their quiet conversation clearly over.

"Now to the offices." Moira said brightly as she walked by, a whirlwind of punctuality and deficientness as always.. "Everyone's waiting to meet you there."

"I'm... Mrs. Queen, maybe not today." Tommy suggested. "Laurel invited us over, and I really don't think that being late to that would repair relationships in any way."

"She invited us over this afternoon." Oliver corrected Tommy quietly. "We can go to the office."

"Wonderful." Moira beamed, and started chattering on. Both Oliver and Tommy tune her out, the latter looking to the former for an explanation.

"I don't want to disappoint her." Oliver explained softly. "Sorry for dragging you along."

"Sure." Tommy grumbled. "Whatever."

* * *

Tommy frowned at the assistant, who looked rather flustered. "Rough day?"

"Sort of." he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "I have to take sleeping pills. ADHD. I was up until three in the morning because I forgot to take them, then rushed here at six-thirty. I'm not very focused."

"That sucks." Tommy said, looking into the office. Oliver seemed to be arguing with his mother, and step-father, and Tommy looked back to the man. "You could pretend to be sick."

The assistant laughed weakly. "Yeah, but after the time I _made_ myself throw up, not really keen on that."

Then, Oliver came out of the office, looking blank-angry. "Tommy, you ready to go?"

"Yeah." He glanced at the assistant "Have a nice day."

"You too."

* * *

"Oliver, what the hell?" Tommy demanded, marching down the steps. His friend looks up from where he's been slowly typing at a computer. "What is going on?"

"Could you please clarify?" Oliver requested, halting his writing, and Tommy groaned. He's _still_ not used to Oliver's weird speech patterns. He thinks he might know why Oliver's like that though. Tatsu and Maseo and Mei and Akio all spoke like that, but with accents. He's spent too much time around people who don't primarily speak English. Yay.

"The office." Tommy replied. "Your mother told me about the fiasco—yeah, we're counting this as a fiasco as well—that was your visit to QC. I get why you said no, but your mother is still chasing after me."

"I don't think any of them get it." Oliver said quietly, turning to face Tommy.

"Even if I didn't have all of this—"he gestures around them. "To deal with, they still wouldn't get it. Walter does, a little, but not nearly enough."

"Yeah." Tommy sat down. "Doesn't change the fact that they're hounding me about it. A lot."

"Wonderful." Oliver glanced at the time. "Aren't we supposed to be at Laurel's soon?"

"Crap!" Tommy jumped up. "Knew I forgot something!"

* * *

Tommy knocked at the door, and Laurel opened said door. "Hey." He says carefully.

"Hi." Laurel said, and frowned at the two men. "What's in the bag?"

"Ice cream." Tommy replied hopefully, and Laurel smiled.

* * *

"Did you hear that?"

Tommy frowned at Oliver. "What?"

"Someone's on the fire escape." Oliver answered, rising to his feet, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of a butter knife. He then moved, fast. Grabbing Laurels hand, he yelled. "Come on!"

Tommy started after them, but skidded to a halt when Oliver stop, along with Laurel, the reason for this clear. Someone's just body slammed the door open, and fell in on it, but the shock doesn't last long.

Tommy grabbed Laurel's free hand, and started dragging her towards the bedroom, while Oliver followed them. Just before he can breakthrough the threshold of the bedroom, the window shatters, and glass, along with another attacker, landed on the bed.

Tommy backtracked, his mind goes hundreds of kilometers an hour, his body on autopilot, as he pushes Laurel the other way again, back towards Oliver, only for the two of them to halt.

Oliver was standing still, staring straight ahead. For a moment, Tommy freaks out even more, then he realises why, his friend is not moving. A Chinese (Tommy assumes she's Chinese, or at least Asian, he's pretty sure it's not racism, because most people who look at him would call him white) woman in black with pure white hair is blocking their path, holding up two knives.

Before anyone can do anything, gunshots ring out. Tommy instinctively jerks down, bending into a partial Crouch. By the time he stands up, and figures out what's happened, Oliver's already moving forwards. Helunges forwards and throws the butter knife that he picked up earlier period it hits the woman's hand disarming her before she can kill John, and she looks up. Making her choice she gets to her feet and runs away, effectively escaping.

John sat up, staring in confusion for a moment, then stands, retrieved his gun, and called out, looking over at Oliver. He looked mad, and Tommy from five years ago, might have been scared, and so would the Oliver from five years ago. Considering that present Oliver could probably pound John into the ground without breaking a sweat, and what Tommy has been through, as support for Oliver, he's not. And Oliver, of course, isn't afraid of John, because of what he's been through. But all the same, John looks a bit scary.

"Are you hurt, Mr. Queen? Are you hurt?" he yelled at them, grabbing his gun once again.

Tommy doesn't answer and he doesn't hear Oliver's answer, because at that moment, Laurel slams into him, wrapping her arms around him. He returns the hug, needing the reassurance, as much as she does.

While Oliver assured John that they had not been hurt, Tommy finds his friends eyes, and they hold each other's gazes, for a few moments.

"This is why it's a good idea to have a bodyguard." John muttered darkly.

Tommy has two thoughts.

One. _You'd eat those words if you knew the truth, and I'd think it was funny._

And two. _Someone's finding an arrow in them tonight._

* * *

"Martin Sommers." Oliver pointed to the computer. "Laurel's persecuting him."

"Oh, wonderful." Tommy muttered. "Didn't you Arrow him last night?"

"I think I made him mad." Oliver admitted. "But I was going to do this anyways. He didn't testify."

"Wonderful." Tommy repeated. "Don't you dare get yourself killed! And we are going to talk about Thea, whether you want to or not!"

Oliver just leaves to change.

* * *

"I'm not bringing her into this Tommy." Oliver argued, and Tommy shot his words right back.

"She needs to know!"

"Would knowing help her?" Oliver demanded. "Would it honestly help, Tommy? Do you really think that?"

"What if she finds out from someone else?" Tommy tried to guilt-trip Oliver. "She'll think you don't care about her."

"If it keeps her safe, I can handle it." Oliver said, and Tommy groaned.

"We both know you'll just pretend." he said, a bit softer. "You're barely hanging on as it is."

"I'm fine."

"You keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means!" Tommy shouted, angry.

"I think it means what I mean it to!" Oliver yelled back, then closes his eyes, breathing in and out, trying to calm down. "I told you I'd consider it, and the answer to the question is no. And that's not changing Tommy. I would rather she hate me, and leave me, then get herself killed."

"It's her choice."

"And what happens when she dies?!" Oliver shouted, the anger flaring back up. "You just said I wouldn't be able to handle it! What happens if you're right, and she dies, and then I can't handle it? What is going to happen then?"

Tommy froze. He hadn't thought of it like that.

In the silence, he chose his next words as carefully as he can, and took a deep breath, stepping towards Oliver, trying not to show how worried he is. "I just don't want to see you hurt."

"I can't see her hurt." Oliver said softly. "And I'd rather she hate me with everything she has, because at least I can try and win her back. But if she dies… then it's over, and there's nothing I can do about it. At all."

Tommy took in another deep breath. "Alright. It's your choice."

"Please respect it." Oliver said.

"If she asks me outright if you are the Hood, I am not going to lie to her." Tommy informed Oliver. "She deserves that much."

Oliver closed his eyes.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Four seconds.

Five.

He opened his eyes. "Fine."

"Still don't think you know what that word means."

"Shut up Tommy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story.  
> My rules.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Flurkin!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> (2019-12-30)

Tommy watched from the hacked security camera's as Oliver confronted James Holder. It had taken a long time for them to get into it, and a couple a failed attempts, but between Oliver's ARGUS training, and what little Tommy knew about computers (AKA nothing), and some library books (pretty much useless), they'd managed it.

Although Oliver was most certainly better at taking things apart than breaking into things.

"James Holder, you have failed—"

Before Oliver could finish the sentence, gunshots rang out, starting Tommy out of his mindless half-asleep trance, and into his Oh-God-Who's-Dying-Is-It-Me-No-Oliver-You-Better-Not-Die-Yet-Or-I-Will-Find-And-Kill-You mode.

"Oliver!" he cried, jumping to his feet, and staring intently at the computer screen. He watched as his best friend dove for cover, and James Holder fell backwards into his pool. Still holding the neck of his bottle of... whatever. "Crap."

It took a moment, but then Oliver spoke through the com, sounding emotionless. "Just a graze."

"Oliver, really?" Tommy said, before falling back, the tension in his legs vanishing. "Just get back here, would you?"

"Coming."

* * *

"So, how bad is it really?" Tommy demanded, as Oliver climbed down the Foundry stairs, dropping his hood. His footsteps echoed around the mostly-empty space, mixing with the dripping of the water that they still hadn't gotten rid of, and the hum of the generators.

"I'm fine."he answered, sounding slightly irritated, but Tommy only rolled his eyes at him, herding his friend towards a chair with one hand. He unclipped his quiver and set both it, and his bow down on one of the tables, then sat down in the said with barely a grimace. He helped Tommy take off his jacket, accepting the suture needle. Tommy looks away as Oliver closed the gash, and then wrapped a white bandage around it.

"Who would have wanted to kill James Holder?" Tommy asked, leaning back in his own chair, and frowning.

"Lots of people, probably." Oliver replied, opening the half-dead notebook, and lifting a pen from the computer desk. He crossed something out. "Anyone who lost people in the fires."

"That has got to be a pretty decent list." Tommy muttered, as Oliver grimaced, after setting the notebook down alongside the pen. "Hey, you okay? You look sick."

Oliver frowned, starting to rise, but stumbled. Tommy jumped up, lunging for his friend, and grabbing his arm. "Oliver!"

"Poison!" Oliver gasped, eyes wide, and Tommy darted for the ammunitions case, pulling it open, and rummaging around, finally finding the pouch of herbs. He grabbed a few, and slid back to Oliver, who was barely aware anymore. He shoved the herbs down his throat, followed by water. He's done this once. Once. Not nearly enough to be good at it. He'd prefer never having to do it again.

And then Oliver fell back, limp weight.

"Damnit." Tommy whispered, with a soft groan of annoyance.

* * *

"Hey buddy." Tommy said softly, as Oliver woke up, looking slightly hung over. It's been almost six hours, and every half hour, Tommy's phone has gone off, with an alarm, so he stays awake. "You look like hell."

"Par for the course then." Oliver mumbled, starting to stand up. "What time is it?"

"We need to head home." Oliver said, pulling on the coat. "Or did you call and give some excuse?"

"I might have forgotten to do that in my worry." Tommy said sheepishly. "Whoops."

"Oh well." Oliver said softly. "Guess we'll come up with something."

"Great." Tommy said. "You know, its ironic. People say you're a terrible liar, but you're really not."

"Thanks." Oliver said, heading for the stairs.

* * *

"Hey man." Tommy jogged up to Oliver. "You alright?"

"Getting a little tired of you asking me that." Oliver replied, with barely a glance at him, as they stepped into the Queen Mansion. "Hi."

Walter glanced over, and spoke up, not unkindly, but visibly distracted by the horror-show playing out in front of him. "Oliver. Tommy. How were your evenings?"

Tommy answered instead of Oliver, as he leaned against the doorframe, voice laced with a faint undertone of sarcasm that would likely be interpreted by Walter in a different way that what had actually happed. "Uneventful."

Walter smiled, and Oliver frowned, having finished his scan of the scene in front of him, before he addressed Walter in a quiet voice.

"What happened? Is Thea okay?"

"She and some of her friends from school broke into a shop and tried on some clothes. They were drunk." the Englishman replied after a steading breath, his tone disappointed. "It's unfortunate."

"Damnit." Tommy groaned, lightly thumping his head against the doorframe a few times. "I thought she said she'd quit."

"Clearly not." Oliver said, as his mother dismissed the police officers, with a short, crisp, 'thank you'. Being smart, they got the hell out of dodge as fast as they could while still appearing like professionals.

"Last time it was public intoxication." Moira was speaking to Thea directly, and Tommy was struck with the realization that this wasn't the first time in recent memory that this had happened. Although, in his defence, he can't exactly follow Thea around 24/7/365. "Now breaking and entering. My, how we are moving up the criminal ladder."

Tommy scoffed, hiding his laugh when Oliver elbowed him in the kidneys, by turning it into a cough. Thea glanced at the two, then back to his mother as she spoke.

"When you pay off the store owner, you should check out the merchandise." she nodded, mostly to herself, a smirk on her face. "They have some pretty killer outfits."

Moira looked like she was holding back from a heavy sigh as she clasped her hands together in front of her stomach, keeping her composure. "Thea, go get ready for school."

Thea leans her head back slightly, arms crossed. "You know—I was thinking of taking a sick day."

Oliver tilted his head as Thea spoke, then looked over to his mother as she gave her answer.

"Fine. Then go get some sleep."

Thea waltzed past her brother, and Tommy with her arms crossed in a self-hug. "You look like crap."

She's gone within moments, and with a sigh, Walter is too, presumably off to QC for work, leaving Moira, Oliver, and Tommy standing in the doorway.

"Your letting her play hooky?" Oliver asked Moira, who looked annoyed.

"When your sister gets like this, it's best to let her have her space."

"She's testing you." Oliver pressed.

"Yes." Moira almost exclaimed. "Who'd she learn that from?"

Oliver took a deep breath. "When I was her age, you and dad would have let me get away with murder. Looking back, I could have used less space, and more parenting."

Moira closed her eyes, as if she wants to ignore her son's words, as he, and Tommy walk away.

* * *

"Do you find it ironic how now you are actually getting away with murder?" Tommy asked quietly. Almost inaudibly, but he knows Oliver will hear. He's like a bat or something. _Batman._

Tommy decided that's a dumb name. _Manbat?_

That's worse.

"Yes, I can see the irony." Oliver replied, speaking calmly. "Come on."

"We're leaving?" Tommy asked. "What about John?"

"Oh no." Oliver shakes his head. "He'll drive me, I'll ditch him, we'll meet..." he shuffled around his drawers, searching for something. He found it almost instantly (Tommy has no idea how Oliver became such a neat freak, but it was around Hong Kong, maybe earlier, because he noticed how Oliver organized his things before sleeping).

It's a stack of green sticky notes, shaped like flowers. Or bubbles.

Tommy decided to call them flowers.

"Where'd you get those?" Tommy said, as Oliver scribbled down an address and time. "Laurel?"

"Actually, I threw everything from five years ago away, more or less." Oliver replied, tearing the note off. "Thea gave me it."

"Them." Tommy said, taking the note. "When did I turn into your mother?"

"Are you in high heels?"

"Never again."

"That is what I was thinking."

"Your speech patterns are weird."

"Thanks."

* * *

"You ditched John?" Tommy asked Oliver, who smiled, a bit smugly.

"Yeah."

"Cool. Why are we here?"

Oliver gestured around the backroad's walls. "One of the bullets hit me, two hit James Holder, and one missed. The one that hit me is fragmented, so we need a whole one to trace it."

"And if we can't find it?" Tommy said, and Oliver looked over at him, then goes back to scanning the walls.

"Then I'll break into the SCPD and find out what the bullet is." he frowns, perhaps at the odd grammar, but then pointed up. "There."

"And how are you going to get that?" Tommy asked. Then frowned. "Oh."

* * *

"They were both looking into Unidac Industries." Lance said, looking up at Walter. "And so are you."

"I don't find your tone appropriate." Moira observed tartly.

"We're just making the rounds." Lance defended, and Moira frowned at him.

"And I am stunned you care so much about our safety."

Lance didn't have an answer to that, and Moira smiled sweetly. She'd already won this round, with her usual ease.

* * *

"Money trail leads back to the Bratva. Finally. That's some good luck."

Tommy frowned at Oliver. "Who's the Bratva?"

"Russian mob." Oliver replied, almost as if it doesn't even matter. Tommy frowns even more.

"Why is the Russian mob..." Tommy said, speaking slowly. "Good luck?"

"You're not going to find out."

"Great."

* * *

"Did you get him?" Tommy said, and Oliver scowled. "Ooh… no you didn't."

"He had a computer that I can't decrypt. It got shot up, but I don't think I even need to break into it." Oliver explained quickly and quietly. "Both of the victims were looking into buying UI. It's a good bet that he'll attack again, tonight."

"Okay…" Tommy said slowly, thinking. "Why are we here then? Aren't we in, you know, danger?"

"I informed the police of it. Look around. Hopefully, they'll catch him, and we won't have to—"

Oliver's little speech was cut off by a gunshot.

"Crap!" Tommy yelled, ducking, but he doesn't know why. It's not like it'll help much.

"Thea!" Oliver shouted, grabbing her, and ducking behind a wall, sheltering her from the attack, although it's unlikely she's a target. It is, however, also unlikely that the attacker doesn't give a crap about civilian damages. "Are you OK?"

"Fine!" he yelled back. "Walter?"

Oliver looked around wildly as John appeared, holding a gun in hand and looking just as out of place as everyone else in the building. He spots Walter with... Lance. Damnit. But they're out, and safe "He's fine!"

"Go!" Tommy yelled. Moira, John, and Thea will interpret it as telling them that they all should run away, but Oliver would know what it he's actually telling him to do.

Oliver's gone, and then everything goes wrong.

"Oliver!" Thea said, and then she's gone, running after her brother. Digg either doesn't notice or has decided that getting the woman who signs his checks out first might be a priority. Which is fair. And also probably A), easier than going after the Queen siblings, and B), safer.

"I'll find him!" he shouted to Moira, and in turn, Tommy swore, before running after the youngest Queen, using some choice words about the siblings. He knew Oliver would probably either be killed or kill the killer. Thea would be caught in the crossfire, he guessed.

Sure enough, there they were.

"Thea!" Tommy hissed, grabbing her arm before she can step out of the stairway. "The crazy vigilante is in there!"

"The crazy vigilante saved you and Oliver!" she hisses back. "And Oliver's in there too!"

He bit his tongue. Oliver is in there, but Oliver Queen is not. The Hood, on the other hand, is in there, and defiantly in battle-mode. Tommy didn't fancy either him or Thea getting impaled. Because ow, and also that would destroy Oliver completely. He was close with Akio, yeah, but not _that_ close. And look at how he'd reacted to Akio's death/murder/genocide/whatever you call it. Him, shooting Thea would make him crumble utterly.

He forced her back, listening as the Hood/Oliver spoke with the killer, and then heard gunfire.

"It's clear." Oliver called. "You can come out Thea. Tommy, you too."

He doesn't have the modulator on, and Tommy stepped out first, leading Thea forwards. Oliver was standing over a body, an arrow through an eye. He turned, dropping the hood, and closes his eyes, preparing himself for Thea's words.

But before either of them can speak, Oliver crumpled, a gunshot ringing in the air. He collapsed to the ground, and Tommy barely managed to catch him, saving him from faceplanting.

"Oliver?" he said, setting his friends head in his lap. His eyes were still open, and he choked out a word that gives Tommy chills, even though he's already been through this, earlier on.

"Poison."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the thing. My story. My rules.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Flurkin!  
> (:


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> 2019-12-30

"Ollie?" Thea cried, as her brother turned his head, letting out a weak, rasping cough. "Ollie?"

"We need to get him out of here." Tommy said, his mind moving faster than his body, something that irritates him immensely. "Get to the warehouse; we can work on saving him there."

"Tommy, what are you talking about?"

"I'll explain later!" Tommy cried, slinging a semi-lucid Oliver Queen over his shoulders. Or, one arm.

"God, why are you so heavy?" he complained but got no answer.

Thea displayed the Queen's family's remarkable ability to curse the daylights out of a fellow Queen, while following orders and not asking questions, and help carry a mostly-dead-weight relative, all at once. Tommy briefly wonders why Thea has such a wide range of colourful profanity, but then decides that he can question it later.

* * *

"Help him onto the table!" Tommy shouted, and Thea, struggling under Oliver's weight, managed to do it, as Tommy ran for the trunk.

He struggled with the lock, wasting time, and barely managed to undo it, searching for the herbs. He managed to find, and prepare them, but Oliver isn't even lucid anymore, so he loaded the liquid mix into a syringe, and jabs it into his friend without hesitation, once he finds a vein, earning a painful groan from the man. He unzipped the jacket, and with Thea's help, managed to take it off fairly quickly. He rolled Oliver over, and cut the shirt off. He whistled (he's probably in some form of shock or survival mode). A bullet wound, right on the right shoulder.

"The cart over there." Tommy said, gesturing with his chin as he peeled the fabric away. "We need gloves, gauze, needle and thread..."

He struggled to remember the rest of the list and rattles it off. Some things, Thea doesn't know the names of, but she's a smart kid, even if she doesn't appear to be, and she made guesses that are more or less accurate, although they do end up with pliers. Why Oliver thinks it's a good idea to have pliers in the med cart, Tommy doesn't know, and he's not sure he wants to know.

* * *

Thea made a face at the mess of scars along her brothers back, and then looked up at Tommy. "How did you know how to do that?"

They've stitched Oliver up, and ensured he won't suddenly die on them. Now, he's asleep, laying on his stomach, because Tommy doesn't really want to risk touching him to make him roll over, and to remove pressure from the wounds. Maybe not the best choice, but he's no doctor.

Tommy studied his friends sleeping form. "I—I can't tell you that without telling you the full story, and that's not my place."

Thea nodded, a finger tracing one of the marks on his shoulders. "Do you know how he got them?"

Tommy stood up and pulls her hand away. "Try not to touch him. If he wakes up, he'll attack you, whether or not you are his sister."

Thea quickly stepped back, then looked up at Tommy.

"Do you know how he got these?" she pointed this time, and Tommy glances, trying to line up his memories of Coast City Oliver to this Oliver, and frowned.

"No." he shook his head. "Thea, sit down. It'll probably be an hour or two before he wakes up. I'll call Walter and your mother, tell them your staying with me. It'll be fine."

* * *

"He's waking up." Thea said softly, and Tommy stood, eyes on her brother. She was right; Oliver shifted, and groaned, before sitting up. Tommy stepped forwards as his friend pushed himself up.

"Hey." he said, his voice scratchy and hoarse, as he lifted his head up. "What happened?"

Thea darted past Tommy, and crashed into her brother, who let out a grunt of surprise. She wrapped her arms around him, and after a moment, he returned it, his eyes finding Tommy's over his sister's shoulder, a questioning look on his face.

"I didn't tell her anything." he confirmed. "Thought you should."

"Were you going to tell me?" Thea asked, pulling away from her brother, who glances at Tommy, who nods in encouragement.

"Didn't really." Oliver paused, to take take in a breath. "Want you to find out like this."

"I thought it might end up like this though." Tommy said. "Just want to say, I called it."

Thea glared at him, then turned back to Oliver. "What happened to you?"

Oliver closed his eyes, then opens them again, looking sad. "I don't know."

* * *

"Mom is going to kill us." Thea hissed, as she climbs the tree outside of her bedroom. Below her, Oliver snorted. "Okay, she'll kill me. She'd do good against you though."

She glanced down, and see's him smile. He's standing, something she finds very impressive after getting shot and poisoned not even three hours ago, but while Tommy seemed to be keeping an eye on him, he didn't seem overly concerned, so she's trying to not be worried either.

"Just climb Speedy." he suggested. "And maybe you won't have to fight her."

Thea rolled her eyes, and kept climbing, circling the trunk until she's at her windowsill and reached over with one hand. She managed to open it, although she fumbled for a minute, before falling into her room, less than gracefully.

She looked outside, and watches her brother swiftly climb the tree. It took her five minutes to do it, but he manages it in about five seconds, landing gently beside her, and closing the window behind him.

"Cool." she complemented. "Learn that on the island?"

He shoots her a look, and she puts her hands up in mock surrender. "Just asking."

He didn't react, instead walking towards the hallway.

"Don't let mom catch you!" she whisper-called, and he flashed a grin over his shoulder, before leaving her room.

She sighed, and fell back on her bed, staring up, and started to puzzle it together. Or, she starts trying.

Tommy ended up telling her how they met in Hong Kong, but not much more. Nothing about how he ended up back on the island. How he learned how to fight. The archery. The mission. She knows a little about how Oliver got the book, but not very much. Not the details.

But that could wait.

Sleep was important.

* * *

_Two Weeks Later..._

"John quit." Thea announced brightly as she skips down the stairs, followed by her brother, who is moving a bit slower than his sister. Thea's wearing her school uniform, and, like the past two weeks, is early, instead of late, for her education.

Moira frowned at her daughter. "You're happy about that?"

"Oh yes." Thea grinned, picking up an apple. "Catch!"

She threw it at Oliver, who caught it easily enough. She grinned at him, then looked over at their mother, who is reading the paper, while the TV plays.

"-the peace she deserves."

"Carl Rasmus." Thea glanced over at Oliver, who's expression was blank, as he chewed on his fruit. "He must be happy."

Moira looked up at her daughter in faint confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Justice." Thea said lightly, before quickly moving on. "I'm going to help Ollie after school at that club. See you tonight!"

She skipped happily out of the room, followed by her older brother, who had a smile on his face, one that hadn't been there for years. Thea's giddiness at Oliver truly being back, was very much contagious, even to him, or maybe even especially to him.

* * *

"Let me guess." Thea said, sliding through the warehouse's heavy front door, and letting it slam shut behind her. She spots Oliver at one of the tables. He's looking over blueprints, using a pencil to edit it. "He's on the List?"

Oliver didn't look up from the table. "Yes."

"Fantastic." she nodded, stopping beside him, and peering down at the table. "Is that a secret entrance?"

"No." Oliver replied, sweeping eraser dust off the page. "Security issues."

"Anyone ever told you that you're paranoid?" she said rhetorically, pushing herself up onto the end of the table, legs swinging below her. "Because you are."

"Tommy says that a lot."

"Tommy is smarter than he looks sometimes."

"Tommy is listening." Tommy called from across the room, and Thea turns red, having not noticed him, but Oliver just marks another spot on the page.

"And Oliver knew you were." he said calmly, then looks up at his sister. "Get off the table Thea."

"Nark." she grumbled, but did what she was told, and slid off the seat, before heading for Tommy. "Hey. I have more homework."

"Now you care about it?" Tommy asked cheekily, and she swatted him, before giving him a quick hug.

"Ow!" he complained, and Oliver cracked a smile at the pair's antics.

* * *

"Hey, Oliver." Tommy said, as his friend came into the Foundry. "Johanna came through with what we needed. Want to look?"

"Yeah." Oliver nodded, stepping towards him, and accepting the yellow file. "Thea got detention. I have to pick her up tomorrow after school."

"How'd she get detention?"

"Something about… punching Morgan?"

"Margo, probably." Tommy corrected. "They used to be friends, but after the big reveal, Thea ditched her. Margo wasn't a good influence. And I don't think you're a great one either."

"You're the one who wanted me to tell Thea."

"And I stand firm on that." Tommy said, as Oliver flipped through the folder. "Still. Bad influence."

"Thea punched James Kennedy in second grade. She was doing this before I was."

"I remember that. Didn't you have to pick her up then too? Wasn't I with you?"

"Yeah, and she was ranting about 'idiot boys who are unable to accept defeat when a girl achieves victory'." Oliver agreed, then looked up to Tommy's confused expression. "They were battling with Pokémon cards at lunch and she beat him, so he ripped her cards up. That's why she punched him."

"To be fair—" Tommy said, remembering that day fondly, as Oliver closed the folder. "—that is a legit reason to break someone's nose. Wasn't it a rare card too?"

"Mmm." Oliver agreed, setting the folder down. "Did she get Peter out?"

"No, actually." Tommy said, looking annoyed. "The judge isn't following through with it. But—" he held up a sticky note, passing it to Oliver. "Go bug this guy; he might be able to tell you something."

"Bug him." Oliver repeated, looking up from the neon yellow, heart shaped paper.

"Put the fear of God into him. Bug him. Give him truth serum. Wait. Does that actually exist?"

Oliver grimaced, setting the note down. "I wish it didn't."

"Do I even ask?"

"Please don't."

"That's what I thought. You want me to watch from the coms?"

"Your choice." Oliver said, unlocking the munitions case. "Either way is fine with me."

"Oh, and—" Tommy snapped his fingers, remembering something. "Johanna said that Laurel is insisting on joining in."

"Great." Oliver muttered, lifting his bow, and giving it a quick once-over. "Anything else to worry about?"

"Um…" Tommy said. "No?"

* * *

"I looked into his eyes." Laurel said firmly, as Oliver (secretly) listened from above. "It was like he had no remorse."

"He stopped." Johanna argued. "He saved us and he saved an innocent man! He clearly isn't insane."

"I'd disagree." Laurel muttered.

"How'd that guy even get in there?" Lance wondered aloud. "Grown man with a bow and arrow, wearing a green hood. Wouldn't that stand out?"

"He seems especially good at disappearing." Johanna replied thoughtfully, as her eyes land on Oliver. Or, as she knows him like this; the Hood. "I think you'll only catch him if he wants you too."

She smiled quietly at Oliver, who gives the lawyer a sharp, visible nod, before turning, and vanishing. Like the ghost he knows he is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story. My rules.


	5. Chapter Five

_**Okay. This isn't even a chapter.** _

_**My original plan was to have 'Damaged' go like it did in the show. Except every time I tried to write that, it just felt super-wrong. So, then I changed the ending to 'An Innocent Man' and tried writing it as a sort of filler chapter. And that was almost worse. So, I deleted both versions, and spent some time on 'Deathstroke Reigns'/'Gratitude' and that was really just me and a friend arguing about how the bloodlust works (we got nowhere at all, for your information, don't expect much there, sorry).** _

_**So, what you're getting is this. And you can skip this; I personally wouldn't read it myself.** _

_**I hate it when authors post chapters, and then just have a note saying that they're taking a break, or that the story is over. It gets you excited, and then you fall flat. I know it's not the same, and I know a lot of people would prefer crappy chapters, instead of no chapters. But… I don't really want to do that here. So, lets just go with the idea that Oliver was never accused of being the Hood, and everything else is essentially the same, relatively speaking.** _

_**But tomorrow, I should be throwing up the next chapter, since it's mostly done, and gah, I'm sorry, and I know you probably don't believe me, but I am.** _

_**I think a lot of you were looking forwards to how I would handle this chapter, and I feel really guilty about not being able to give you a full chapter that makes sense in universe, but at the same time, I really hated both ways this chapter had turned out.** _

_**If you want to write your version of what you thought 'Damaged' could be like in this AU, please PM me about it, to get permission.** _

_**I know that an apology isn't going to really make up for this, but I am truly sorry for this.** _

_**Flurkin.** _


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

"Are you trying to get us killed?" the woman hissed, glaring at the man. He glanced over, and pulled at his jacket, revealing a badge, keeping his voice low.

"Don't worry, I'm a cop." he whispered, reaching for his ankle holster, going slowly, eyes turning back to the guard. The Ace.

"Please don't do it." the woman begged, and then, when that didn't work, started to raise her voice, so it was audible to everyone in the room. "I don't wanna die. Please!"

Ace glanced over, the pair having gained his attention. The man froze. Ace, trusting the woman's judgement, raised his gun, and fired three times.

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

* * *

In the safe, the King's head shot up. He glanced towards Jack, then darted out into the entrance, and if you could have seen his face, it would have shown anger, and perhaps some worry. But no, the mask hid all emotions from the outside world.

"What the hells going on?" he demanded, the moment he was within earshot of the Ace, arms spread, clearly annoyed.

Not answering right away, the Ace rolled the man over, ignoring his ragged breaths, and sneered under his mask.

"He was friggin' cop." he snarked, ripping the badge free, and shoving it at the King, the symbol of law enforcement slick with blood, the Ace's fingers smeared with it.

"Enough throwing shots." the King snarled, even as he took ahold of the badge.

"Hear that?" the Jack called, voice muffled by his mask, and the distance, as police sirens sang, nearby. "Someone triggered the alarm."

The Ace raised his gun, intending to eliminate all of the witnesses, but the King grabbed the barrel with one hand, pushing it down, and the Ace froze. They seemed to face off, and then a shout make them move again.

"Lay down your weapons, come out with your hands up."

The King glared at the Ace, although it was difficult to see, from behind the mask. "Lets go."

* * *

"Relax." Oliver ordered, adjusting Thea's grip on the bow, sounding faintly amused."You are as stiff as a board."

"Sorry." she muttered, trying to obey, but mostly failing.

"It's fine." he assured her, as he helped guide her hand back, lifting the arrow into the air. "Just gotta breathe."

"Dumb advice. If I didn't breathe, I'd be dead."

Oliver smiled. "True. But breathe slowly, alright?"

She let out a long breath, then breathed in, before she gave up. "Nope, can't. That sucks."

He laughed quietly. "Relax Speedy. You'll be alright."

He guided her hand, so she was aiming in the general direction of the target they'd set up for her, before lightly removing his touch. "Breathe. And release."

She missed. "Damnit."

Oliver laughed. "I missed my first time as well."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, you are failing Oliver, you are failing big time." she said, head back, staring at the ceiling. Oliver tried not to think about how exposed her neck was, how easily it would be for anyone - for him - to cut it, or strangle her, or-

_Don't think about that Oliver. You're alive, she's alive, Tommy is alive, everyone is fine. Take your own advice. Relax. You'll be alright._

* * *

"Ah, guess who I just got off the phone with?" Moira cried as Thea and Oliver entered the Mansion. They exchanged a glance, then looked to their mother, deciding to humour her. When neither of them guessed, she sighed, and told them.

"Janice Bowen! Carters mother!"

"Carter Bowen." Thea said dramatically.

"The perfect son." Oliver added, although less dramatic than his sister in his efforts, but Thea smirked all the same.

"I don't ever think I said he was perfect." Moira protested, and Thea started to rattle off a list of Carter's achievements, while Oliver looked slightly entertained, but mostly bored by the entire thing.

"Well, they're coming over for brunch, and I expect both of you to be there." Moira said, once the siblings had finished in their teasing conversation.

"Can't." Oliver said, and Moira frowned at him. "We have plans."

"Well, that's alright. They're coming tomorrow."

"Snap!" Thea said, snapping her fingers together, and pointing at her brother, grinning at him.

"You're included in being there." he reminded her, and she groaned.

"Damnit."

* * *

Thea bit her lip as they sat down, eyes scanning the news report. She needed to tell Oliver about this but with the Bowens here... yeah right. She managed to upload the article to email account, and type in Tommy's name.

She glanced over at Oliver, who was staring blankly at his orange juice, probably thinking. She tried to type out a message to Tommy, fingers fumbling across the screen. She really didn't need to be told off for texting at the dinner table right then and there. Not again, within five minutes. She glanced at her message. The spelling was terrible, but passable, she gleamed from her brief glance.

Hitting send, she slid the device into her pocket, and then turned her gaze to Carter Bowen, who was babbling away. She glanced at Oliver again. He'd zoned out, of course he had, and she really had no obligations to speak. Carter and Janice had the unusual ability to fill an hour with their talking, and nobody else would get a word in unless they butted in, which Moira did easily, perhaps without trying.

Her gaze fell on Oliver again. She knew that he wasn't doing as well as he tried to show them he was. Moira was buying it, Walter perhaps less so, but the only people who seemed to realized that Oliver wasn't alright were her and Tommy. Two people out of everyone, which wasn't good. Not at all.

He was eating well enough. Between her and Tommy, they'd managed to ensure that so far, and while he wasn't getting nearly as much sleep as he should have been getting, he was getting more sleep than he would have liked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story. My rules.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

Oliver stopped, pulling up beside the curb, and putting his motorcycle into park. He took his helmet off, balancing it on the handlebars of the bike, as his earpiece rang. He turned it on, and Thea's voice echoed through his ear. He could hear the background noise of her school faintly, kids chatting, and conversations stopping and starting, with laughter and yelling.

"Mom told me to call you to make sure you don't forget you're having lunch with her today."

"Sometimes it's hard to tell which one of you is my mother." Oliver jokes, and she scoffs, then her voice becomes slightly muffled. It takes him a moment to figure it out. She's holding the phone to her chest, to block the sound of her talking to someone in the room with her.

"No, Margo, I already told you. I am not doing any of that, not anymore. Go bug Paige."

"Margo?" Oliver asked curiously. "A friend?"

"Not anymore. Margo, no. Go away, I have to work." Thea sounded irritated. "Gah! Just go! I'm talking to my brother. And I have work to do, please just go away."

Oliver held back a laugh. "Having fun at school?"

"My teachers are certain that I've been drugged." she informed him. "But now that I'm working harder, and paying attention, this is actually pretty fun."

"I'm at QC." Oliver said, spotting his mother and a man together, coming down the steps, and lifted a hand to wave at her. She nodded, then turned to the man, trying to break off the conversation she's stuck in.

"'Kay." Thea sounded more relaxed now. "Margo left. We're good."

"I see Mom…" he trailed off, then his breath catches, as he starts running across the street, towards the pair. The motorcyclist has a gun, and is aiming, and of my god, no! "Get down!"

* * *

"Oliver!" Thea called. "What happened?"

"Mom was shot at." he replied, running across the street, and dropping to one knee beside his mother. "Hey! You OK?"

"Fine!" she said and he left her, running after the shooter.

He ignored Thea, who is talking rapidly, sounding like she's running. "Oliver, what do you mean? What happened? I'm going to call Walter. Oliver?"

He ignored her, jumping and grabbing onto a thin, but sturdy, metal bar. He landed and threw it. It caught between the spokes of one of the tires, stopping the bikes momentum. The person riding it crashes into a dumpster, and he runs forwards, trying to get to them, but before he can, the shooter raises a gun, aiming at him. He's forced to move, duck for cover behind a wall, and hears Thea, once again, frantic.

"Oliver? Are you OK?"

"Fine." he replied, taking in a few breaths, and letting them all out.

"I texted Alex, my driver." she said breathlessly. "I'll meet you at the hospital."

* * *

"Oliver!" Thea called, running down the hallway, with a very irritated looking nurse after her. The teenager, still dressed in her school uniform, is far faster however, and she crashed into her brother. He looked up at the disgruntled nurse.

"Sorry for the trouble." he said calmly. "But Thea's family."

The nurse glared at them, then turned, and walked away. Thea let go of Oliver, and drags him into the hospital room, where their mother is laying on a bed, looking peaceful.

"Where did you run off to?" Moira ask sleepily, eyes bright, yet dull, and he glanced at Thea.

"I freaked out." he said quietly, as she wrapped her mother in a hug. "Sorry. I should have stayed."

"It's alright." she said quietly, then her eyes lit up again. "Oh! Walter!"

Thea and Oliver step out and move away from the open door, giving the couple space.

"Oliver, mom almost died." The hissed, after looking around. "Yeah, she's fine, but no, running after the shooter isn't exactly the best choice here!"

Oliver looked at her sadly. "I'm sorry."

Thea took in a long breath, and ran a hand through her hair, combing it back. "This is when I regret quitting."

"Pardon?" Oliver said innocently.

"Joking. Did you catch them?"

"If I caught them, do you think you would notice?"

"Yeah, probably." Thea grumbled. "I'm mad. But Mom wasn't the target, according to Detective Lance. The man she was talking to was."

"Huh."

"Yeah, hey, come on." Thea lead Oliver to one of the waiting rooms, and sat down beside Tommy, who is trying to puzzle his way through a French/English sports magazine. She grabbed her backpack, and pulled out her laptop, opening it. It takes her only a few minutes to log into the hospitals crappy wi-fi and open up a file.

"I've been keeping track of criminal activity in the city, as much as I can. Which isn't much, I'll admit. But I've been keeping an eye on the news. This isn't the first time whoever this is has attacked. They've done several of these. Two people have already been killed, three injured, not including mom, and it's all happened within the past two months."

"So?" Tommy asks, frowning at Thea, having discarded the magazine, and is now leaning over her shoulder, speaking in a quiet voice.

"Fist of all, I hate them." Thea says openly, keeping her voice down as well, even as she takes out her phone, trying to hotspot the computer. "And second, _bystanders_. Who's to say someone else won't end up dead?"

"It could have been Mom." Oliver said quietly.

"So, you want to arrow him?" Tommy summarised, and Oliver glanced at him. "I did not mean that in a bad way. More people are going to die if this guy keeps at it."

"Yeah, but I haven't been able to figure out who he's been targeting." Thea points out sadly. "It's almost random."

"Do you have a list of victims?" Oliver asks, and Thea opens up a word file, scrolling down. He taps the screen gently, and she stops, going back a bit. "These are all members of the Berttinelli crime family."

"Never heard of them." Thea admits, looking to Tommy. "You?"

"Nope." he shakes his head, then looks to Oliver. "Who are they?"

"Run by Frank Bettinelli. They're against the Triad mostly, and leave the Bratva alone, except for some occasions." Oliver says. "They're pretty powerful."

"Fantastic." Tommy says. "Also, your mom is on health watch. Someone has to stay with her."

"Great." Oliver nods. "Thea, you think you can—"

"Actually—" Tommy interrupts. "I'll watch her. Thea's done good with the research. I think she could help a lot more than I could. Besides. I rarely spend time with your mom; we should catch up."

Thea smiles at the older man, mouthing the words 'thank' and 'you'. She's closer with Oliver now, but still, it isn't as close as it could be, and with Tommy always there, they never seem to have the time to talk together, at least alone.

"If it's fine with you Thea, then it's fine with me." Oliver says, glancing at Tommy, probably knowing what he's planning, and Thea nods.

"Yeah." she agrees. "It'll be cool. Or as cool as something like this can be."

* * *

"Okay, according to these reports…" Thea says, her heart beating excitably in her chest, staring at computer screens, down in the Foundry. "Or whatever you call them—"

"Speedy." Oliver warns and she sighs.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." she says, focusing again. "Tax collectors or something, they're going around double time tonight. Next on the list… Russo's. We're guessing that Mr. Trigger-Happy is going to be there."

"Mr. Trigger-Happy." Oliver repeats quietly. "Really?"

"Yeah, better than Killer, no?"

"Not really." he mutters quietly, and she can barely hear him. "Radio silence."

"What? Really? What if you get hurt?"

"Less distractions." he whispers. "He's here."

Thea mutes her mike, and listens to the sounds of her brother fighting, and then it cuts out.

"Oliver?" she calls, leaning forwards. "Oliver?"

Then she remembers she's muted.

She unmutes the communicators and calls again. "Ollie?"

"Fine." be replies, sounding… rattled? "Coming back now."

"See you soon."

* * *

"Why do you look like someone just told you Mom died?" Thea asks, then cringes. "She didn't, by the way. Tommy says she's irritated that she can't go anywhere though. Which is kinda scary."

"I'd expect so." Oliver mutters, setting his bow in its case. "Anyways, that's not why I'm annoyed. The attacker? Helena Berttinelli."

"Frank's daughter?" Thea asks, clearly confused, frowning, trying to figure out the situation. "Why would she attack her family's business?"

"I don't know." Oliver replies quietly, then turns to his sister. "Revenge, maybe? See if she has any brothers or anything like that."

"'Brothers'." Thea repeats, and Oliver shrugs.

"You get the idea."

"Okay…" She turns in her seat and starts typing. Oliver apparently can hack databases well enough to be undetected/to not get kicked out, and they've downloaded the information on said databases onto the computers backup. Just in case they get kicked out. She can't hack yet, but is thinking about it. "So, I really like this job, and I'd like to keep it."

"Fine with me." Oliver agrees. "You're good at it."

"Thank you!" Thea says with a smile. "Oh, look. SCPD records! Thanks for getting them, by the way. Here. Michel _Stayton_? _Statton_. _Sayyyton_. Blech. Michel was her fiancé, and he died about a year ago. It was chalked up to a B&E gone wrong. And oh, the FBI know about it too! Fancy."

"Thea…" Oliver says gently, and she nods.

"Stay focused." she reminds herself, reading silently off the screen, before turning to her brother. "Helena was going to turn on her father. After Michel was killed, the file ends, and they lost contact with her."

She looks up at Oliver. "What are they saying?"

"Michel was killed by Frank." Oliver says after a beat. "Helena probably had a laptop or hard drive with information about the Berttinelli family, and they thought it was Michel's, or they killed him to keep her silent. This is revenge."

"So…" Thea processes. "What now?"

"Now, we go home, and you sleep." he tells her, leaning over to close the computers. "Because you have school tomorrow."

"Oliver!" she complains, but he holds up a hand.

"The deal is you can come down here, if you keep up your schoolwork." he reminds her. "I can very easily ban you from coming down here."

She fake pouts, then stands up. "I have a report due on Monday, and it has to be about a family member. It's like a reporter thing? I was hoping—"

"To talk to me?" he guesses.

"If it's OK with you." She says softly. "I can always talk to Mom or Walter."

"No, it's fine." Oliver kisses her forehead gently. "Meet you at the car."

"Alright."

* * *

"You want to know about the island?" Oliver guessed, as he sits down beside Thea at the kitchen table.

"Up to you. Would be easy though, probably." She answered, dropping her binder on the table, and starting to look for a pen. "Where did I put that pen?"

Oliver opened the binder, flipping through the pages, until he comes to the back, where blank sheets of lined paper rest, some of them crumpled up a bit, with ink from the other pages where ink had bleed through, but most new and bright and crisp and straight and clean.

Thea sighed. "Where is my pen?"

Oliver offered one to her, the ink black. She looks up, smiles, and takes it, turning the binder so she can write without said writing being upside down on the page.

"Okay." She nods, clicking the pen open, and giving it a quick twirl in her hands, before looking up at Oliver. "Um… How do I—what should I—"

"The island was called Lian Yu." Oliver says firmly. "Is this a private thing?"

"Yeah, it's for extra credit." Thea replied, looking up. "And also, just let me say, Mom told me to ask you. I think she thinks I'm a therapist now."

"And let me say, that it is fine." Oliver said patiently, lacing his fingers together. "You're writing lies, not truth, so it doesn't matter."

"Yeah, well, you're still going over it and taking stuff out if you don't want it in there."

"You just want me to be your editor." Oliver said, his voice teasing.

"Just a little." She replied, sounding pretty cheerful. "Okay. Talk, big brother."

* * *

"Helena Berttinelli." Oliver called out. "You have failed this city."

"I thought you'd be coming." she said calmly. "After the fight at Russo's."

"You should have run." Oliver said, and Tommy glances at Thea.

"Not that kind of person. I'm more of a _Huntress_."

"What is she talking about?" he whispered, and she facepalmed.

"No idea." she hissed back, turning back to the computer, clasping her hands in her lap.

"Moment you stepped in the door locked." Helena said. "And you can't escape this."

There was silence, with a series of coughs to break it up, and Thea tensed in her seat. "Oliver?"

"Gas." he wheezed. "Don't…"

And then nothing.

"Ollie?" Tommy tried.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Four.

Dead silent.

And then there was a crushing sound, and nothing more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story. My rules.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

Oliver woke up, but stayed still, keeping his breathing even. He didn't want to let anyone know he was awake. Whenever he woke up, and it wasn't from a nightmare, he woke like this. Quietly. Unnoticed by anyone else.

He listened. Water was dripping somewhere

And then, a wave of ice cold water slams into his face. Not expecting it, Oliver gasps, coughing as the water runs down the back of his spine, making him arch at the sudden chill.

"You should still be feeling the effects of that sedative." Helena Bertenelli informs him, as he blinks water out of his eyes.

"And this—" she holds up a needle, filled with a cloudy white liquid. "Is Sodium Pentothal. Also known as truth serum. A bit unreliable in theory, but we don't want you telling lies if we can help it, now do we?"

_Crap. No, don't get lost. Relax. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale._

' _Sarah!'_

' _Oliver!'_

' _Where are your friends?'_

He tensed as the needle slide into his left elbow, the place where blood is drawn from. Feeling the mixture mix with his blood he remembered words spoken aloud, by Ivo, Sarah, Slade, and Shado. Warnings. Advice. Jokes. Conversations. Stories. Lessons.

People described drugs in different ways. Burning hot. Freezing cold. Sodium Pentothal is neither, at least to Oliver. It just... is. As if he's taking in an average breath of air.

_That doesn't make sense..._

_What's air...?_

He closed his eyes, a number of curses running through his mind in a variety of languages, but most in Russian. The Bratva liked cursing. And drinking. And making bombs.

"Let's give it a minute to kick in, shall we?" Helena suggested, tossing the needle to the ground. Oliver's eyes roll to the side, following the needle. Remembering...

' _It'll work?'_

' _I spent a year with Anthony. I know how he works. Just act stoned.'_

' _Good thing I have practice. '_

Play along.

He can do that.

He leaned his head back against the pillar, his eyes unfocused, but not really on purpose. He doesn't have the curse. No. Not curse. Cute? No... He hasn't spoken English for a while... Cure? Maybe that.

"Looks like it's kicked in." Helena observed. " Now. I know you were on an island. That doesn't explain how you can fight. Want to tell me about it?"

"Not... Really." Oliver replied slowly, his words blending together.

This time he doesn't have the countermeasure.

_Focus Oliver!_

"Alright. How did you wash up on the island?" Helena asked. "Let's start with something simple, shall we?"

_Wash up? Water?_

"The ocean." he mumbled, and when she retaliated, punching him in the gut, he grunted as her fist hit his diaphragm. It winds him. What? Winds. Windy. Wind. Like the North Wind? What does that have to do with... anything? Wasn't that in a movie? Or something? What's a mov-

"How did you. Wash up. On the island?" she repeated, more forcefully, interrupting his spiraling mind.

"Life raft." he choked out, heart pounding. He can't remember if that's a side effect of the drug, but he's thinks it is. Increased heart rate. "Life raft."

"Were you alone on island?"

"Yes..."

"Where did you learn to fight them?"

_Fight. Slade? Why? Fighting Slade? No. Fight serum. Think. Lie._

"Purgatory."

"Where is purgatory?" Helena inquired.

"Why are you asking?" that time, he yelled when the pain comes. A knife, in his upper right arm. Then, he gritted his teeth, and got over it.

Helena repeated the question. "Where is purgatory?"

"The immediate state falling physical death." Oliver repeated Kovar's words, his head lolling forwards onto his chest limply. In return, Helen wrapped her fingers around the hilt of the knife, pressing it in.

"Where is purgatory?"

"Hell." Oliver mumbled. "Hell. Lian Yu."

Helena frowned, he thinks, then seems to decide that that's probably the best she's going to get. She moves on. "Who taught you?"

"Necessity."

She pulled the knife out, and he knows that if she doesn't leave at some point soon so he can leave himself... _Is that righ_ t? His mind wonders, but he dismisses it and moves on. He's going to bleed out at some point. But, clearly, she's never tortured anyone (and, Sodium Pentothal, in Oliver's experience dulls pain).

She needs to try a lot harder. A lot harder.

"Why are you the vigilante?" Helena asked.

"Honour."

_Yao Fei. Chinese. Helena... Speaks Chinese? No. He doesn't think she does._

He starts to talk more, answering her questions more willingly. But all the while, he's speaking in Chinese. She doesn't seem to understand. But he's not lying. He's giving her all the answers. He earns punches and cuts from this idea, but her efforts are feeble at best. Well, in his experience.

Finally, she leaves, just as the drug starts to wear off. Oliver blinks a few times, trying to clear his head, and looks around.

Helena unzipped his jacket at some point, and his hand are still cuffed above him. Taking a few breaths, he fumbles, the remains of the drug hindering him, but he manages to dislocate his thumbs, sliding his hands free. He forces himself to his feet and stumbles to a table, the one that holds his gear. Struggling with the Phone, he manages to unlock it, and scrolls down through the contacts. He finds three of them and none of them have direct names. Fantastic. Thank you, Tommy.

Although, in Tommy's defence, it's not a half-bad idea, for meagre protection, except in Oliver's situation.

_Speedy._

Thea, for sure.

_Legal Aid._

Joan? Joe? The lawyer person. Right?

_Saviour._

Probably Tommy.

He selects the last one.

* * *

_27h Earlier..._

"Um…" Thea looks up at Tommy. "Should we be worried?"

"It's Oliver." Tommy answers dryly. "What do you think?"

"Yes." she grumbles, opening a chat window on the computer, and mutters under her breath as she types out a message. "Ollie… me… staying with Tommy… movie night…"

She sends the message, and leans back in her chair, waiting for her mother to reply.

After a minute or two, the computer beeps, and she leans forwards, reading the reply, before closing the window.

"We're good. Now, let's find my idiot of a brother."

"Good plan."

* * *

_Now…_

Tommy opens his eyes and wonders why he's blind.

After a minute of thinking about it, he concludes that he's sleep deprived (accurate) and that's slowing down his thought process, because he's laying face-down on a pillow.

Then, he wonders why he woke up.

This answer comes faster. His pillow is playing 'The Peanuts' theme song. Pushing himself up a bit, he moves the pillow away, to find out what is making the nose. As it turns out, it's not the pillow, it's his phone. Turning it over, he blinks a few times, to clear his blurry vision. Then he reads the caller ID. 'CSTWY'.

Oliver.

He answers as soon as he manages to sort out this new information.

"Hello?"

"Tommy." Oliver replies immediately. Said Tommy sits up straight, a bit more awake.

"Oliver?"

"Track the phone." Oliver says, sounding strained, and very tired. "I don't know how to work the maps... things... on it."

"Yeah, got it. Should I wake Thea?"

"Not if you don't have to."

"'Kay." Tommy lowers the phone from his ear, and puts Oliver on speaker, then opens a program. Tracing Oliver's call is easy, and he nods to himself. "Twenty minutes. Stay there."

"I don't think… I'm going far." Oliver admits quietly. "What did you tell my Mom?"

"Movie night with me and Thea." Tommy replies, tossing the phone on the bed, and grabbing a hoodie. "She bought it. Be there soon."

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story.  
> My rules.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

"Thea, why are there no decorations around the house?" Oliver asked, as he stepped into the house, looking up at Thea, who was coming down the stairs. She rolled her eyes, and let out a soft puff of air, as they walked towards the dinning room, where voices come from.

"Tell you later." she muttered, and he looked at her strangely, in confusion.

"Candy canes?"

"Mom went sugar-free, and you can't have sugar." she reminded him dryly. "Good luck finding any of that 'round here this year Ollie."

"Right." he muttered under his breath, almost sadly. "Of course."

The two siblings stepped into the dinning room, taking their seats at the table. Thea spared another glance up at Oliver at the topic of conversation, before adopting her 'bored teen' face, and starting to text one of her study friends (that's new, but not unwelcome) on her phone under the table, glancing up every few seconds, and successfully zoning out of the conversation completely, only tuning back in for Oliver to comment 'lame' about something or other.

It's not a moment later that she's clued into the topic of the conversation as she clicks her phone off, when the police chief rises, commenting on 'the Green Arrow' in a sarcastic tone, saying how he killed another person.

Her eyes flickered to Oliver, who's jaw was clenched slightly, and she knows exactly what he's thinking. He hasn't killed anyone since they brought her on. That she knows about, and while she completely hates the idea that he has the ability to do that, but she knows that he's trying.

And he hasn't done that.

* * *

"It's a copycat?" Oliver asked, and Thea swallowed, hating how calm he sounded, sitting on the cot up against the wall, studying one of his arrows.

"Something like that." Thea agreed, chin propped up on one knee, as she hugged her leg. "The police seem to think so."

"It's it a bit late for a copycat?" Tommy asked. "I mean, it's been a while since you first popped up."

"Well, I think they thought you had a change of favorite colour at first." Thea said. "But then Laurel's father popped up and things happened, so... yeah."

Oliver nodded to himself, then rose to his feet. Thea sat up straight, turning her chair to keep her brother in her clear sightline as he moved towards the tables, lifting his bow.

"Wait, where are you going?" she spoke up, leaning forwards in her chair.

"To see what I think about it."

* * *

"He's not okay, is he?" Thea asked Tommy, her fingers wrapped around the PA mike they have in the Foundry to talk to Oliver when he's out in the city. It's on mute, and the only reason she's really holding it is for personal comfort.

"Would you be?" Tommy said, staring blankly at the book in his hands. He hasn't turned a single page since Oliver turned his com off, and Thea is ninety percent certain that he doesn't even know the book isn't in English. She only knows it's about motorcycles (she thinks) because of the cartoon on the front.

"I'm not going to answer that." she said, starting to drum her fingers on the armrest of her chair. "This copycat..."

"What about him?"

"Could be a her."

"What about them?"

"What if they win?"

Tommy's head jerked up, and he froze for a moment, slowly lowering his book to his lap. "They won't."

"What if they do?" she insisted. "What if they beat him, what happens then? How do we-"

"He won't lose, Thea." Tommy said. "I promise. Oliver won't get hurt, I promise you."

Thea nodded slowly, pulling her knees up to her chest, and hugging herself, staring ahead. Tommy, just as slowly, lifted his book back up, and stared at the page again, unblinking. "You know Star Wars?"

"Thea..."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Well." Tommy set his book aside with an air of finality, and leaning back with a drawn-out sigh. "You're not exactly alone in that."

* * *

"He's waking up." Tommy said quietly, nodding towards Oliver. Thea nodded, rising, and taking a step towards her brother, who lays motionless in a bed, still as can be. While she held him still, or tried to, muttering quietly to him to quiet his confusion, Tommy darted towards Moira and Walter, who had both fallen asleep, leaning on each others shoulders. He doesn't want to wake them, overwhelm them, just yet, but at the same time, they deserve to know Oliver's... not going to die just yet.

"Moira." he whispered, after checking that Oliver was lucid enough. "Moira, Oliver's awake."

The older woman blinked her eyes open, sitting up straighter, and composed herself within a moment, letting Tommy move to wake her still-asleep husband, in the same tone. Moira moves towards her two children, muttering to both herself and the pair. Walter wakes quietly, and rises, but stays away from Oliver, letting the Queen blood relatives have their moment, standing by Tommy.

Then.

"It wasn't a motorcycle, was it?" the British man asked, voice low and barely audible. Tommy barely thinks about it, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

"No."

There's another pause between the two, and Walter nodded, thoughtful. "Keeping an eye on him?"

"Yes."

"Thank you." Walter said, lifting one arm, and setting it around Tommy's shoulders in a sort of kind hug. "I don't know if I could help them if something happened to him. Again."

"Mm." Tommy agreed, not realizing as he leaned into the larger man, relaxing. "It's been a long day."

"Indeed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story.  
> My rules


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

"Hey Oliver." Tommy said carefully, stepping down onto the concreate floor. If he could say one good thing came out of the Dark Archer, it would be how much the Foundry had changed. They'd done a building inspection a few weeks earlier, which had forced them to take everything out of the basement for it, and replace it, but they'd made it more livable. The hot water actually worked, they had a small kitchen, and a changeroom, with clothes for all of them. "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright."

It was better than 'I'm fine', at least. Tommy took what he could get as he sat down, joining Oliver in watching Thea practice her archery. For Christmas, Oliver had gotten her a sleek red competition bow. Moira had looked uncomfortable, clearly thinking it was in bad taste. Walter had simply raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.

Oliver had gone through great pains to drill the point of the bow being for competitions, not combat into Thea's head, and she wasn't to carry it around to bludgeon people with. She didn't seem to care about the limits, and had spent a good amount of her free time sending arrow after arrow towards the targets, slowly improving her aim. It had been good for the injured Oliver (who had been going stir-crazy), and Thea. A good bonding moment.

Tommy was just glad that they hadn't accidentally shattered something at the house yet, because Moira and Walter had somehow gotten it into their heads that their children were his responsibility. He didn't need a Moira-Queen lecture.

He watched as Thea emptied her quiver, and set her bow down, marching over to the target, and pulling each black shaft free, and returning it to her quiver. She took that off, and put it away too, before flopping down in her chair, an excited smile on her lips. She was slightly sweaty, but clearly happy.

She'd officially forgone her previous look, for something more athletic. Now her wardrobe was made out of clothes one might go for a jog in. Comfortable and practical. She still wore her hair down most of the time, but she'd taken to wearing it pinned back while in the Foundry, and slowly, the amount of make-up she wore had dwindled down to simple mascara and concealer, barely any eyeshadow or blush or lipstick or eyeliner to be seen.

"Hey Tommy." she said, leaning back. "Good day?"

He shrugged. "Guess so. Are you going into the field tonight Oliver?"

The two turned to look at him, and he shook his head. Thea tilted her head.

"Why not? I mean, I prefer you not getting shot at, but why?"

"Nothing to pursue." Oliver replied softly. "List names are quiet. And my lung could be better."

"Everything could always be better." Tommy pointed out. "You sleeping down here again?"

Oliver (and Thea), had taken to sleeping in the Foundry. Tommy did it sometimes too, usually when his father was at the house (it might be a big house, but as far as Tommy was concerned, a world away from his father wasn't far enough), but it was usually just the Queen siblings.

There were two cots in the Foundry, and they could be pushed together and then clipped together to form one bigger one, but the two Queens usually slept in one of the smaller ones, together. Apparently, it had started after Oliver had a nightmare. And, for whatever reason, Thea's presence soothed him. She'd been sleep-deprived at the time, so she hadn't really thought about what she'd been doing when she'd curled up against her thrashing older sibling. Needless to say, Oliver had been surprised the next morning.

Tommy had a theory. He knew Oliver had Slade and Shado on the island (and maybe Sara, but he wasn't sure about that, it was reading between the lies; Sara had been on the island, met Oliver, some kind of promise to do with her family) and that they might have slept in a sort of huddle for body-heat, so that could be why.

Or maybe it was magic.

That was entirely possible too.

* * *

"My brother." Johanna says, rather bravely. "He was a firefighter. And he died."

Oliver says nothing.

"Are you going to say something like 'I'm sorry for your loss'?" she asked, and he tilted his head slightly. Not enough for the lawyer to notice, but enough for him.

"Would that make you feel better?" he asked, and she sighed.

"No."

"Then no, I won't." Oliver said, and she nodded, before stepping forwards, and holding out the files. Brave. The last time they saw each other... in a way... well, she's brave for sure.

"He burned _hotter_ than the fire he was fighting. He had turpentine on him, but there was none in the factory. So, how did my brother die?"

"You'd be surprised." Oliver said, remarkably quietly, and Johanna heard, but didn't press. She had more important things to say.

"He's not the first either. I did some digging; men from his old company, the Fireflies? A few of them, including my brother, died recently, with the same situation. Turpentine that shouldn't have been there, on their turncoats. That's what killed them all."

"Why not talk to the police?" Oliver asked, as she held out the stack of papers. Slowly, he accepted them, passing his bow to his off-hand.

"I tried. And I tried to talk to the firefighters, and they both shut me down. Apparently, dying in a fire, under circumstances like these aren't cause for an investigation."

She said the last part bitterly.

"Will you—" Johanna took in a long breath. "Look into it? I did you a favor, at the jail. I didn't tell anyone you were in a uniform, and all the cameras were busted. I didn't tell them that you were watching."

"I'll look into it." Oliver replied, and started to walk away. Johanna called out from behind him.

"Hey."

He stopped, looking back over his shoulder to show he was listening to her with his full attention.

"Did—the other archer—he beat you, didn't he?"

Oliver didn't answer, and Johanna shuffled her feet against the gravel of the roof.

"I'm just saying, a lot of people were worried. Not everyone is like Laurel; we don't all think you're a criminal."

"What do you think?" Oliver asked, genuinely curious.

"I think… That you're doing the best you can, with the cards you've been dealt." Johanna replied. "And that's all anyone can ask for. I think you're doing good. If you ever need, help, I'll be there."

Oliver just nods, before vanishing into the night.

* * *

"What's..." Thea frowned at the page she was studying. "Turpentine?"

"No idea." Tommy replied, reading over her shoulder. "Ah... Google it?"

"What?" Oliver called from where he was restringing Thea's bow, with an orange and red string. Tommy was starting to see a theme of fire. Or maybe Phoenixes.

"Nothing!" Thea cried, quickly typing away. "It's fine!"

Oliver snorted.

* * *

Moira Queen frowned at her two children. They were curled up together on the chesterfield, the TV playing some comedy show with canned laughter playing every few seconds. A blonde woman cried out on-screen.

"Oh look, it's a girl, you can see all the eggs!"

It cut to ads, and Moira searched briefly for the remote, clicking the source of noise off. She bent over Thea and Oliver. The latter had the former across his chest, the pair hugging slightly, both asleep. She crouched, and frowned, reaching out slowly. Her fingers hovered over Oliver's face, and then brushed below his eye. He stirred, and she froze, but then Thea muttered something, and shifted, and they both went still.

She stood, walking over to a lamp, and held her fingers below the light.

Green paint.

She frowned to herself, then sighed. "Dear god."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone wondering, the TV show is 'The Big Bang Theory'. 
> 
> My story.  
> My rules.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know why I don't own Arrow? We'd be in Hell if I did.  
> Enjoy!

"Thea?" Oliver called, heart pounding wildly in his chest as he got off the motorcycle. "Thea?"

On the phone, she hadn't sounded all that great. Drunk, or something, but he knew that she hadn't touched any foe of alcohol in over a month, and she had quit smoking an drugs, completely. A few secret searches of her room and bags had confirmed that for him. He was paranoid.

He wasn't sure if it was exhaustion, or what, but then the car had crashed. He'd pulled up her phones GPS and biked here. Hopefully it was someone else's fault. Someone on the List, who he can hurt, hurt, hurt-

He ran forward, towards the car, and gagged at the sight. It wasn't gruesome, in any way the worst he had seen, but it was his sister. In some ways, it made it the worst.

"Speedy!" he shouted, and she lifted her head with a groan. No. No. Not good, he doesn't think. You're not supposed to move them, Shado always lectured him, during late nights, or while they prepared traps or food or the fire. Spinal injuries... not good.

The car is totalled, the airbag having deployed. The cars hood was crushed against a tree trunk. Crap. Crap. Crap.

He eased her out of the car, then swore at himself. What did he literally just remember from Shado! You can't move them!

Shit.

Too late now.

"Just relax." he urged her, and she mumbled something that he ignores, pulling her out of the car. He can hear sirens, and looks around. There's another car, in a ditch. The driver is making his way over, slowly but surely, and Oliver can feel himself tense, ready for a fight.

"Is she alright?" the woman shouted, and Oliver looked up at her. She's around his age, maybe, but he can't tell, with blond hair, but he can tell that she dyes it; she's naturally brunette, the roots show it. Wearing a skirt and blouse, she's small, some identity pass hanging around her neck, like the ones at the company. She stumbled, and sat down for a moment, ripping her high heels off and throwing them away. Oliver will never understand why women wear those things. Thea used to complain about them endlessly. Speaking of... when did she stop wearing high heels?

It doesn't matter. The small voice that is wondering that trails off, the rest of him focused.

"Who are you?" he demanded, his years on the island sending him into overdrive.

"Felicity." The woman answered, rubbing her forehead. "Who are you?"

"Oliver Queen." he answered shortly. "Call 911."

Felicity hesitated.

"Now!" he shouted, and she hurried back towards her own, tiny car, hopefully - hopefully! - looking for her phone. Or something. Hopefully she's not insane and has a gun and is going to shoot him and that'll leave Thea alone, alone, alone, to die, die, die by-

Focus Oliver! Thea needs you!

Oliver looks down at Thea. "Hey." he said softly, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear. "You okay?"

"No." she answers simply. Honestly. And while it hurts him, he's glad to know that she's lucid enough to feel the pain. It means she's unlikely to die, on his experience. Which, for once, he is grateful for.

"It'll be fine." he promises, resting his cheek against hers, and she relaxes into him. "I'm here."

"Good. Big. Brother." she mumbles, eyes dropping. "Don't go."

"Never again." he swore. "I promise Thea, I'm not leaving you."

They sit there, on the side of the road, for a long, long, long time. Oliver's arms wrapped around his sister protectively, her head on his shoulder, their cheeks touching. Thea calm in his protective aura. Him calm, in the reassurance of her continued breaths.

* * *

"Trace amounts of Vertigo."

"Uh, nope." Thea shook her head, eyes wide as she gripped Oliver's hand. "I haven't had any of that. Ever. Margot tried to get me to use it, it threw it out, I swear, ask her!"

"Wither or not that is true, we have to arrest you." the officer said, and Oliver carefully put himself between his sister, and the officer.

"She's a minor."

"She DUI'd."

"Unknowingly, and unwillingly." Oliver replied, Thea reaching forwards, wrapping her fingers around his hand. He squeezed reassuringly. "You can arrest her, but I'm coming, and you aren't putting her in handcuffs until you get to the station, or she's in the cruiser."

"Mr. Queen, I advise you back off." the police officer said stiffly. "Or I will add resisting arrest to the charges."

Oliver gritted his teeth, but Thea spoke up, voice quiet. "It's okay. They can cuff me. It's the law."

"Thea—"

"Ollie." she fought back, even as the man stepped forwards with the metal restraints. "You're still coming."

"Yes."

The officer glared, but didn't argue, even as they marched out of the hospital. Thank god. They'd kept the accident under wraps. And Oliver (despite Thea's half-hearted glares) managed to get them to take her out via a back door. Nobody got any pictures, or, he doesn't think so, at least.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My story.  
> My rules.


	12. Chapter Twelve

_**Hello, my dear reader!** _

_**So if you don't know yet, this season is split into two. The Hood Fiasco (this part) is now done. The Starling City Fiasco is coming up soon, and it's probably easiest for you to follow my profile if you want to know when that's up. Personally, I just like the season being split into three, but obviously it's two here, instead, and I'm making due. And three would be a bit much.** _

_**Until then, I have several other finished works and works that are in-progress that you might like to check out! And, I've been skipping around the How to Tame Your Dragon fandom for a while (for me, yay, ADHD!) now, so if you'd like that, PM me if you have idea's.** _

_**I'd absolutely adore anyone who would comment about spelling/grammar mistakes, punctuation, and generally being nitpicky. The reason I'm on this website is to improve my writing capabilities, and my ability to create a fully-fleshed-out story, since I aspire to be an author one day. Even if you think 'oh, it's just one comma, I won't be a jerk!' please do tell me about it! Everything helps!** _

_**Thanks to all of you who commented on this, weither it was just a 'I liked it!' or a paragraph about how you like what I did. Of course, I think most people, myself included like the latter form of comments more, but all the same, comments, favorites, and follows are amazingly inspiring, and I love going to your profiles to see if you've written anything, and reading it myself.** _

_**I'd like to say Happy New Year, and Merry Christmas, but if you don't celebrate that, or you celebrate something else, weather it's very early or belated, have fun with that too, whatever it may be!** _

_**Lots of well wishes,** _

_**Flurkin** _

**Author's Note:**

> This is going to be Tommy - Oliver - Thea based, seen from Tommy and Thea's POV more than Oliver's. Felicity and John aren't here really, and Johanna is taking up Laurels role from the first season, as the Hood's legal aid. I feel like while Laurel was a good choice for that bit, for the show, logically, if it were real, Johanna would have been smarter, because Oliver doesn't have a direct connection with her, so it's harder to trace the Hood to him, and safer for Laurel. No relationships. Story's should be character and relationship driven, but not romantically driven, if you ask me. That and I'm not really comfortable writing romance.
> 
> My story.  
> My rules.
> 
> Thank you for reading!  
> Flurkin!


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